Rotary engine.



P'ATENTED SEPT. 15, 1 903.

No. 739,274. v J. M. FARMER.

ROTARY ENGINE. v APPLIOA I'ti R-FILED JAN. 5, 190a.

H0 MODEL.

WITNESSES A TTORNE Y5 m: souls ravens ca. mom-L r Nb. 739,274. PATENTBD SEP,T{15,'1903.

,J. M. FARMER. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 sHIiETfi-sEBBT 2.

WI T NESSES lN VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y6 UNITED STATES iatented September 15, 1903.

PATE T OFFICE.

JULIUS M. FARMER,.OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF PART To JOSEPH DEREU v. GUDEX, F NCIS X. BODEN, CLARK s. MATTESON,

JESSE E. MATT SON, EMERY L. TERRELL, WALTER'D. MACHLEITH, ARTHUR J. GUDEX, JOHN VIERTHALER, HERMAN G. DECKER, ELWARD FARMER, ROLLAND J. FARMER, WILLARD EARMER, CHARLES H. BA DENWERPER,

. D. P. REDD, ANDREW P.'JENSEN, JOHN J. JORDAN, DOMENICK BARONI, PETER T. MURPHY, AND W LLI M J. MCLAUGHLIN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN; ALBERT B. HALLETT, OF SHARON, PEN SY ANIA; EDGAR WHITE, OF KENOSHA, WISCONSIN; MAX A. BAUMAN, OF RICE LAKE, WIS- CONSIN, AND ERNEST A. TITUS, OF HARTFORD CITY, INDIANA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPEGIFIGATiON forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,274, datedSeptember 15, 1903. Application filed January 5, 1903. i Serial No. 137,812. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JULIUS M. FARMER, citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee,'connty of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of rotary engines in which a plurality of cylindrical chambers, with their pistons and piston-rods, are revolubly supported from and around a common central shaft, while the outer ends of the piston-rods are connected with a stationary crank formed integrally with said central shaft and eccentric thereto, whereby as steam is admitted to the cylindrical chambers they are causedv to r0 tate, with their supporting inclosure, around said crank-shaft, while the latter remains at rest. I

The construction of my engine is explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side View. Fig. 2 is a front view of the stationary face-plate of the steam-chest. Fig. 3 is a front View, and Fig. 5 is a rear view, of the steam-controlling Valve by which the engine is started, stopped, and reversed. Fig. 4 is a front view of a revoluble face-plate in which the Steam-ports which control the communication between the steam-controlling Valve and said cylin;

drical chambers are located. Fig. 6 is a versired, be used in the construction of my engine, I have for convenience of construction shown theseveral pistons operating in cylindrical chambers, all of which are formed in a single annular casting or block of metal, closed at their outer ends, with the exception of a steam-inlet port, and open at their inner ends. Like parts are identified, by the same reference-letters throughout the several views. The several cylindrical chambers A are formed in the annular block B, and said block B is revolubly-secured to a stationary shaft 0, while said shaft C is in turn supported from the standards D. The pistons E of the several cylindrical chambers are connected with the crank F by the piston-rodsG, said rods being pivotally connected at one end with saidpistons and at their other endswith said crank. The cylindrical chambers are open, as stated,at their inner ends only. Steam is conducted from the steam-pipe H to the outer ends of the several cylindrical chambers A through the steam-chest I, one of the ports L formed in sleeve P, port B" formed in the valve-plate K, one of the steamports 0' formed in the face-plate M, and one of the steam-ducts D formed in the block B, whereby as it expands within said cylindrical chambers the pistons E are forced'inwardly, whereby the cylindrical chambers, with the block B, are forced in'the Opposite direction by the reaction of the steam," thereby cans ing said block B to revolve.

It will be obvious from the view shown in Fig. 7 that the eccentricity of the crank F to the central shaft 0 is such as to cause the pistons of theseveral cylindrical chambers to move the entire length of such chambers from the extreme outer ends when in a vertical position above said crank to the extreme inner ends of said chambers when beneath such crank and that said pistons are forced outwardly and inwardly as they successively move in their circular course around said shaft, whereby they are caused to make a complete stroke in both directions with each revolution around their common center.

To provide for automatically taking up the wear of the contiguous surfaces of the valveplate K with the revoluble face-plate M (which is formed integrally with the block B) and the face of the sleeve P, I provide for the movement of said sleeve longitudinally be tween said valve and the annular steam-chest I. The sleeve P is connected with the wall of said steam-chest I by annular collars Q and R, which register with and are nicely fitted in corresponding recesses S and T, formed in said sleeve. The annular collars and sleeve are provided with a packing and serve the purpose of a stuffing-box, which permits said sleeve to be forced inwardly against the outer face of said valve-plate K by the action of the steam in the steam-chest, whereby said valve-plate is in turn pressed firmly against the surface of the face-plate M and whereby as such surfaces become worn they remain in close contact.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be understood that when the operating-handle A is in the vertical position shown in Fig. 3 the port B is closed and steam is prevented from entering the engine; When, however, the handle A is moved toward the right, so as to cause the port B to register with one of the ports L, steam is admitted to the cylinders of the engine, as stated, through the ports G successively as they revolve past the port B. When it is desirous to reverse the rotary movement of the engine, the handle A is moved in the opposite direction from the vertical, so as to register with the other port L, wherebysteam is led to one of the cylinders upon the opposite side of the central shaft and said engine is caused to revolve in the opposite direction. It will also be understood that the steam will be cut ofi from each of the several cylinders successively as soon as the ports 0 are cut off from communication with the ports L and that consequently the steam will act expansively in such cylinders, respectively, after it has been thus cut off until they reach a point in their revolution which will bring the steam-ducts D in communication with the exhaust-ports E and F. The exhaust-port E is formed in the lower side of the valve-plate K, opposite the operating-handle A, while the exhaust-port F is formed in the lower side of the annular sleeve P. To provide for the admission of steam to one of the several cylinders, regardless of their position, when starting the engine, a channel G is formed upon the sides of the steam-port B upon the inner surface of said valve-plate K, whereby when said ports 13 are moved so as to register with one of the steam p'o'rts L the steam will pass through one of said channels G to the next adjacent ports 0, thus permitting steam when the valve is open to pass at all times to at least one of said steam-cylinders at a time and to enter the second cylinder before it is entirely. out off from the first, it being understood that the steam continues to pass through said side channels G after the ports 0 have passed the ports B and until the ports 0, leading to such cylinders, respectively, have passed the ends of said channels.

In Fig. 5 I have indicated the position of the ports L and of the sleeve P in dotted lines and also the exhaust-port F of said sleeve, and it will be understood that the valve-plateK is adapted to be moved in either direction far enough to cause said ports B and L to register with each other.

Oil is led to the contiguous surfaces of the valve-plate K, face-plate M, and the' sleeve Pfrom the oil-cup H through the duct I. (Indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 8.) The outer ends of the several piston-rods G are connected with the pistons E by pivotal bolts J, while the inner ends of said piston-rods are connected with the crank F in two sets of four each, one above the other, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 8, by the annular sleeves K and annular bearing-block L, one set of four of said sleeves being shown upon'the left of the central plate M in said Fig. 6, the other set (not shown) being located in the reverse order upon the right of said central plate M. To provide for taking up the wear of the annular collars of said piston-rods, they are preferably made slightly conical in shape, tapering inwardly toward said central plate M, while said, bearing-blocks L are also made conical to conform thereto, whereby as said bearing-blocks are forced inwardly toward each other by the action of resilient washers N (one of which is located at each side of said crank) the sleeves of said piston-rods are forced into close contact and caused to take up wear.

In constructing my engine the cylindrical chambers A are first formed, as indicated in Fig. 7, in the block B, when the outer ends of such cylindrical chambers are closed by a closely-fitting annular band P, which may be shrunken on said block or otherwise secured thereto.

K and bearing-block L to the crank F, said ICC crank is preferably formed in two separable parts. The sleeve S is formed integrally with the arm ct, and the trunnion T is formed integrallywith the arm I); I

"In starting the engine it will be understood that when desirous to revolve the engine toward the right the steam-controlling valve is turned so as to admit the steam to the cylinder upon the right of the vertical, and that when desirous to revolve the engine in the Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is v 1. In arotary engine, the combination of a plurality of steam-receiving chambers revo-' 'lubly supported from a vcentral stationary shaft; a central stationary shaft;a plurality.

, shaft provided with a plurality of steam-ports respectively communicating with said cylinders an adjustable valve-plate centrally sup ported from said stationary shaft, and pro vided with ports adapted to register with the ports in said faceplate; a longitudinallymovable sleeve supported by suitable inter locking annular collars and recesses from said steam-chest, and provided with steam-ports respectively at one side with said piston-rods;

a conical-shaped bearing block centrally supported upon said crank within the innermost of said collars; and means for forcing and holding said interlocking collars and conicalshaped bearing-block together, substantially as set forth 3. In a rotary engine of the class described, the device for'adjusting the stationary Steamchest upon the central stationary shaft in its relation to the bearing surfaces of the face-" plate, and valve-plate of thefengine, consist mg in the combination with said stationary shaft of ascrewthread ed nut to its periphery, and adapted to be "turned forward thereon, against the wall of said steam-chest; an annular' sleeve having annular interlocking ,bearings, with corresponding bearingsformed in said steam-chest, and adapted to bemoved longitudinally on said shaft toward the valve- 8 plate and revoluble face-plate ofthe'engine, whereby the wear between the contiguous moving parts of the face-plate, valve-plate, and sleeve, may be taken up automatically f by the action of the steam and adjusted manually by turning forward said nut upon said 'shaft all substantially as, and for the purpose specified.

4:; In a rotary engine the combination of a plurality of steam-receiving chambers formed in a single circular block of metal revolubly suppo'rtedfrom a central stationaryshaft; a single encircling tire or band adapted to closethe outer ends of all of said chambers; astationary crank, supported eccentrioally to and 9 5 from said stationary shaft; a plurality of pis ton-rods connected severally at their outer ends to said pistons, and at their inner ends to said stationary crank; aface-plate' formed around the protruding end of said stationary 10c shaft provided with a plurality of .steam-v portsrespectively communicating with said cylinders; an adjustable valve-plate centrally supported from said stationary shaft, and provided with ports adapted to register with I05 the ports in said face-plate; a longitudinallymovable sleeve supported by suitable interlocking annular collars and recesses from said steam-chest, and provided with steamports registering with the steam-port's of said no Valve-plate; said sleeve being adapted to bemoved longitudinally by the pressure of, the steam within said chest, toward and against said valve-plate, all substantially as and for the purpose specified. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS M. FARMER.

Witnesses:

J AS. B. ERWIN, F. A. O'r'ro. 

